The Pentagon has said that the Russian and Chinese bombers that flew near Alaska on Wednesday was the first time the two countries have been seen operating together in that manner.
In a press conference on Thursday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the Russian and Chinese aircrafts’ movements were “not a surprise.”
“We closely monitored these aircraft, tracked the aircraft, intercepted the aircraft, which demonstrates that forces are at the ready all the time and we have very good surveillance capabilities. And of course, I won’t discuss any intelligence issues here at the podium,” Austin said.
“But again, it’s the first time that we’ve seen these two countries fly together like that,” he added.
Austin said that the aircraft did not enter U.S. airspace and were about 200 miles off the coast.
“If it happens again, if there is any kind of a challenge from any direction, I have every confidence that NORTHCOM and NORAD will be at the ready and will be able to intercept,” he said.
Two Chinese and two Russian bombers had been detected flying in international airspace near Alaska before they were intercepted by the US and Canada, which together comprise NORAD.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
